‘If nobody tells young people what consent is, it can be easily disregarded’

Trinity College Dublin

Matt Wrafter, Tullamore, Co Offaly

The Harvey Weinstein scandal shows how a man in a position of power can go for so long getting away with stuff like that if people are complacent and people are, maybe, too afraid to talk about it. That’s just one example of an institution where a man is in power in a film production company, but there are so many institutions like that, like we saw with the church.

Dan Ryan, Birr, Co Offaly

The consent workshops are definitely a big help, to ensure that girls know that they are allowed to say ‘no’ as much as lads should know that they aren’t allowed to force themselves on anyone. If nobody tells young impressionable people what consent is, it can be easily disregarded as a mistake even though it’s a pretty horrible thing. I think the education needs to be there, we think we’re progressive and that sort of stuff is going to happen less and less, but it obviously still happens.

Ross Gavigan, Celbridge, Co Kildare

I think the Harvey Weinstein allegations are relevant to young people. Everyone knew he was doing it, it was going on for years, but it was only an issue when it reaches the media and a certain point of public sphere. I found that was pretty informative of the rot at the higher levels of everything, and everywhere. I think it’s happening everywhere, anywhere there is wealth and power people are committing terrible abuse and people are protecting them for it. Why? I don’t know.”

Dillon Hennessy, Ranelagh

I don't think the allegations are entirely relevant to young people in Ireland, because obviously Hollywood is an environment that just isn't replicated here in Ireland. I don't think too many people are finding it hard to believe that Harvey Weinstein was able to sexually harass so many women for such a long time. I think there's always been a kind of an implicit understanding, even among young people, that that kind of thing happens in show business, and that understanding doesn't necessarily translate into the lives of young people in Ireland that much. I'm not sure if it's being discussed among young people outright or explicitly, but I hope that the understanding is seeping in that there is a correct way to behave."

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DIT

Gina Holland, Cabinteely

I don’t know if it’s that relevant in Ireland. A lot of the businesses and stuff, the way you move up, men can abuse their power sometimes, maybe not to the same extremes but I think in that way it is relevant. People do abuse the power that they have.

Kasper Peterson, Wexford

I can see why it could be dismissed by some, because it is this Hollywood fiasco, it’s not as big as it should be in Ireland especially, considering that there have been allegations in the UK as well, but I think if somebody could go for that long doing what he did, in that place of power, it has to be looked at, people in other institutions and other places of work and stuff like that. They should be scrutinised, probably more than he is being. His company is still there, and nobody knows if he’s going to jail either.

Maedbh Doyle, Kildare

I know that with my group of friends we’d all experience that kind of stuff, but we’d always just put it down to, “oh that’s just how guys are”, and now we’re starting to realise that that’s not okay, the stuff that used to happen, but at the same time, I don’t even think guys know it’s wrong. I think they’re often looking at the older years or their friends and they think it’s all normal. I think people are talking about it more, and I am more aware that what has happened is not okay. I don’t know if it’s gotten worse or not. If I was talking to my mum about it, about the things that I’ve experienced, she thinks it has gotten worse. But maybe in the next few years it will get better. I can only hope it does. I think it went through a stage of really being bad, it’s still really bad, and this is bringing it to light.

UCD

Amy Sutton, Greystones

I think the media attention on Harvey Weinstein could be good for people who have had similar experiences who are scared to talk about it, seeing their role models stepping out and standing out against it. I think trust could be an issue, it could make women distrust powerful men in some industries, I know a lot of the higher up people are male in lots of companies. I think in Ireland there is quite a “lad culture” and I think things like this aren’t necessarily taken as seriously, like it’s all a bit of a laugh and everyone thinks it’s all a bit of a joke but in a lot of cases it isn’t. So hopefully things like this will make it a lot more serious. I was in Canada on a study exchange last year and this kind of stuff was dealt with very differently, the way that guys acted was very different. I think Irish guys tend to be a bit more forward, and there’s almost a herd mentality, so hopefully things like that will help Irish guys take this more seriously.